Charlie Nicholas says Newcastle are only four or five wins away from survival

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Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas feels Newcastle have Premier League survival within their grasp and will get there with ‘four or five’ wins.

He has hailed Steve Bruce for the job he has done in his first season in charge and says that much of the hard work has been done in terms of beating the drop.

Nicholas said: “Newcastle had a setback last week. Jonjo Shelvey has earned his right to play, but he is touch and go, as is Miguel Almiron. They do not need Almiron because he does not score, but they need his pace and movement as Allan Saint-Maximin is out with injury.

“Newcastle are there to survive in the Premier League, and they are four or five wins from doing it already, which is a testament to the results they have earned this campaign. Steve Bruce has done a remarkable job, but it is about trying to hold a unit together, and I think he will do that again this weekend.”

TBR’s View – Beating the drop would be major achievement for Bruce

There’s an awfully long way to go but Newcastle’s survival hopes do look good right now. And from where the club were when he took over, survival would be a great achievement for Bruce.

That he is even in the dugout is a symptom of the club’s malaise but he can’t be blamed for that and has had to crack on with trying to beat the drop.

The template of organisation and making up for a lack of goals up front with unlikely marksmen is from the Rafa Benitez era – Bruce hasn’t yet delivered the more expansive football promised – but it is getting results right now.